Your possible reason for buying this camera may have changed fairly recently. The EOS 7D would have been the only way to get 'standard' and 'film' frame rates from a Canon DSLR product in HD, but no more. There is a new model which offers very much the same video functionality and output for a fraction of the cost, the Canon EOS …

COMMENTS

"It still has the 4GB limit of using the FAT file system. So recordings in HD will tend to end about the 12-minute mark, with only the 480p taking you anywhere near the 29min limit on devices like this."

Actually this is one of three possible reasons why there is a limit, the other two are:

- the dreaded EU/EC duty imposed if it could record longer because it would be classed as a camcorder

Moreover, if the limit was FAT32 4Gb then why can Personal Video Recorders and Blu-ray handle longer lengths? Either because they use another file system or break the recordings up into several files BUT employ a system to provide seamless, back-to-back flawless recording/playback of these files, perhaps enabled my some sort of playlist table file.

What a shame about this limit. If only it wasn't there then this camera would be a fantastic all-rounder and a contender for making proper decent film footage with the flexibility of SLR lenses providing all manner of filmic nuances and quality.

Length should only be limited by size of memory card.

At least it has 24p for easier compatibility for transferring to blu-ray for archiving and sharing.

12 minutes

"What a shame about this limit. If only it wasn't there then this camera would be a fantastic all-rounder and a contender for making proper decent film footage..."

When was the last time you saw a movie with a single scene longer than 12 minutes? There aren't many. It puts a damper on recording the kids school play in one long shot, but for "proper decent film footage" this 12 minutes really isn't much of a barrier. BTW, I have one (and love it), and my personal guess would be the sensor heat issue you mentioned. I got it for photography, the video is a nice little add-on I use occasionally, but I can definitely imagine that sensor heating up when used for prolonged periods.

15mm does not equal a fish eye lens!

RE: "The built-in flash, that can now handle the fisheye 15mm EF lens "

The 15mm on this aps-c size sensor is equivilent to a 24mm on a full frame. This lens produces very flat images with no 'fish eye' distortion. Even the 10-22mm EF-S lens produces amazingly flat images and can also, in no way, be called a 'fisheye', infact its a beautiful wide angle lens and well worth the money!

So far canon has not made a 'fish eye' for the APS-C sized sensors. Although the 16mm prime 'fish eye' can be use on the c size it does lose its effect markedly.

Forget the camera

RE:Forget the camera

Buying a DSLR to do video is laughable

Lousy things won't even do proper autofocus like any old cheapie vidcam.

Pity the author spent 80% of the review on that aspect. From what I've heard/read in other reviews, the 7D is a pretty fine still camera. (I'm a Nikon loyalist myself but that doesn't stop me from appreciating competitive models from other marques.)

Agree

You're missing the point

Like Rob Davis above, you're failing to realise that video in an SLR is not about replacing a camcorder. What it does, is provide access to 'Hollywood' style shallow depth of field effects. Professional cinematographers don't use autofocus - they plan their shots. Coupled with a lens with a decent manual focus mechanism ( a bit of a rarity these days, I admit) one of these would make a very nice bit of kit for the creative filmmaker - many of whom are drooling as we speak and furiously saving their pennies. On the other hand, if you just want to do event recording stick with a camcorder. Or better still, carry both. Camcorders, these days aren't exactly backbreakers.

Disagree

If you have time to set up the shot (as in proper amature/college movies), it's perfect, a few minutes for a fixed scene, it is however a bit rubbish for dynamic unscripted scenes, IF it's in focus the quality is amazing on L glass.

Eh?

Why on earth has this review focussed almost entirely on the video aspects of this camera? It comes across as if the reviewer has deliberately avoided mentioning it, despite the fact that for wildlife photographers this has amazing potential - crop sensor, properly weather sealed, numerous improvements over the 50D in terms of ISO, high speed shooting, and AF control... For any photographer not specifically intent on going full frame, this is a very serious contender to the 5DII

The video capability is really a sideshow. As already said, if you want to do video, spend 2k on a decent video camera, not on a 7D and the single lens you could afford for that cash.

Brilliant idea...

"One interesting inclusion is a button that switches you into RAW shooting for one frame if you are in JPEG Only or to RAW+Jpeg if you are in RAW already. It’s a brilliant idea..."

Sure, and it's old too.

My 4 year old Pentax K10D has a dedicated "RAW button" -- you can actually choose whether you want it to last for one shot only or if you want it to stay on the setting you choose. To confirm, from their manual (RAW+ means RAW -- either PEF or DNG, btw -- plus JPEG):

"If you press the RAW button, RAW+ capture and save is exited after one shot.

To continue until the RAW button is pressed again, set [One-touch

RAW+JPEG] in the [A Custom Setting] menu."

I don't know if they invented it either at Pentax, but sure it's old stuff in tech terms.

What will they be imitating next, Sv, TAv and in camera stabilization? :-)

@12 minutes

Longest single cut scene

I believe that up until recently the longest single shot sequence in a Hollywood movie was the scene in Goodfellas where Ray Liota takes his girlfriend to the Cabaret and they go through the kitchen. this scene is only about 3 minutes in length.

I think it may have been beaten recently by Kill Bill during the scene in the restaurant which is actually a homage to Goodfellas. Even that scene though only goes to 4 or 5 minutes.